Diving dog takes the plunge
Boniface the dachshund has become the latest edition to a Russian diving team after taking the plunge in a purpose-built wetsuit and breathing mask.
Sergei Gorbunov, the dog's owner and a professional diver, commissioned the suit and mask for the dog to alleviate the pooch's distress at watching divers disappear under the water, The Sun reports.
A South Korean company constructed the custom westsuit which is apparently perfect for doggy paddle and allows Boniface to spend hours below the surface.
The dog, now known as Scuba Dooby Doo, has completed numerous deep water pool trials and receives encouragement and reward in the form of sausages.
Gorbunov, the director of diving at the Vladivostok Maritime College, told The Sun his dog will soon be ready for the open water but sounded less convincing when it came to the dog's motivation in heading underwater.
"We think the experiment has been a great success, Boniface felt comfortable under the water but maybe or maybe not because we fed him sausages before and after," he was quoted as saying.
